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Genesis 9

1God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2Fear and dread of you will fall upon every wild animal of the earth and every bird of heaven, upon everything that moves on the ground and all the fish of the sea. They have been given into your hand. 3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As with the green plants, I have given you everything. 4But you must not eat flesh with its life—its blood. 5And for your blood, for your lives, I will demand an accounting. From every animal I will demand it, and from humankind; from each person I will demand an accounting for his brother's life. 6Whoever sheds human blood, by a human his blood will be shed, because in God's image he made humankind. 7As for you, be fruitful and multiply; swarm on the earth and multiply on it.”

8God spoke to Noah and his sons with him, saying, 9“As for me, look, I am establishing my covenant with you and with your offspring after you, 10and with every living creature with you—the birds, the livestock, and every wild animal of the earth with you, from all those that came out of the ark to every wild animal of the earth. 11I will establish my covenant with you: never again will all flesh be cut off by floodwaters, and never again will a flood ruin the earth.” 12God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am giving between me and you and every living creature with you, for all generations: 13I have set my bow in the cloud, and it will be a covenant sign between me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the cloud, 15I will remember my covenant between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. Never again will the waters become a flood to ruin all flesh. 16The bow will be in the cloud, and I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh upon the earth.” 17God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all flesh upon the earth.”

18Noah's sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was Canaan's father. 19These three were Noah's sons, and from these the whole earth spread out. 20Noah, a man of the ground, began by planting a vineyard. 21He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22Ham, Canaan's father, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. 23Shem and Japheth took the garment, put it on both their shoulders, and walked backward. They covered their father's nakedness; their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness. 24Noah awoke from his wine and learned what his youngest son had done to him. 25He said, “Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves he will be to his brothers.” 26He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be their slave. 27May God make room for Japheth; may he dwell in Shem's tents, and let Canaan be their slave.” 28Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29All Noah's days were 950 years; then he died.

Translation notes 4

9:4–6 — Blood; accounting. Blood is identified with life, and human killing requires an accounting even from an animal. “By a human” is the natural instrumental reading in verse 6; “for the human” is a possible alternative. The brother language expresses responsibility for a fellow human's life, not guilt imposed on a victim's relatives. The verse connects the taking of human life to God's image without specifying a complete system of courts or penalties.

9:8–17 — Covenant; bow. The covenant includes animals and the earth as well as Noah's descendants. The ordinary weapon word “bow” is used for the rainbow; the image is retained without supplying the bow's direction or a narrated act of disarmament. Remembering expresses God's continuing commitment.

9:20–24 — Nakedness. The story expressly contrasts Ham's seeing and reporting with his brothers' avoidance and covering. Proposals of sexual assault or another unstated act go beyond what is narrated and are not inserted. “Youngest” can also mean younger or lesser in age; the order of names alone does not establish birth order.

9:25–27 — Canaan; slavery. Noah curses Canaan, although Ham was the actor in the preceding account. “Slave of slaves” is an emphatic expression for the lowest slavery. The text names Canaan; it does not name a skin color or authorize a curse on all Ham's descendants. In verse 27 “he” can refer to Japheth or God. The ambiguity is retained; Japheth's name plays on making room or enlarging.